1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for guiding a motor vehicle.
Various methods for the automated guidance of motor vehicles occupied by a driver are already known. The methods are distinguished according to their level of automation, with a distinction for the methods depending on the level of automation being specified by the Federal Highway Research Institute of the Federal Republic of Germany, for example, which distinction is also used in the present patent application.
2. Related Art
Accordingly, a method for highly automated guidance of a motor vehicle involves a driver assistance system taking over the transverse and longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle for a certain period in specific situations. A method for fully automated guidance of a motor vehicle involves a driver assistance system taking over the transverse and longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle completely in a defined instance of application. In the case of fully automated guidance, before leaving the instance of application, the driver assistance system prompts the driver, with a sufficient time reserve, to take over the task of driving, that is to say guidance of the motor vehicle. In the case of highly automated guidance, the prompt to take over is provided as required and with a sufficient time reserve. To take over the task of driving, the driver must in both cases, that is to say both in the case of highly automated guidance and in the case of fully automated guidance of the motor vehicle by the driver assistance system, be ready to take over each time. Highly or fully automated guidance of the motor vehicle is also referred to as guiding the motor vehicle at a higher level of automation.
In both aforementioned cases, highly automated guidance and fully automated guidance of the motor vehicle, the driver does not have to monitor the driver assistance system.
By contrast, the driver has to monitor the driver assistance system on an ongoing basis in the case of methods with a lower level of automation, namely a method for semiautomated guidance of a motor vehicle by a driver assistance system or a method for only assisted guidance of the motor vehicle by a driver assistance system. Both semiautomated guidance of the motor vehicle by the driver assistance system and only assisted guidance of a motor vehicle by the driver assistance system require the driver to be ready to take over vehicle guidance completely at any time.
A method for semiautomated guidance of the motor vehicle by the driver assistance system involves the driver assistance system taking over the transverse and longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle for a certain period or in specific situations. A method for assisted guidance of the motor vehicle by the driver assistance system involves the driver carrying out either transverse control or longitudinal control on an ongoing basis; the other driving task in each case is carried out by the driver assistance system within certain limits.
Particularly when the motor vehicle is longitudinally guided in automated fashion by a driver assistance system, there is the risk of an undesirable change of speed for the motor vehicle on a transition to guidance of the motor vehicle with nonautomated longitudinal guidance.